Learn me retired racing greyhounds.

dean1484 wrote: P71???? No they are the F1 or top fuel of dogs. A friend has one and playing fetch with it is fun. The dog can out run just about anything you through. Really entertaining and absolutely amazing to watch. Great well minored dogs.

I would suggest that a whippet is the topfuel dog..

joey48442 wrote: Thoughts on crates? Seems most people say they like the crate, as the dog was raised living in them. I feel an obligation to keep anything in my house safe, and since my cats were here first, I don't want to bring something into the home to make them unsafe.

Dogs tend to like crates if you use it properly. Greyhounds especially. The crate isn't a punishment, it's their safe space where they go to calm down and feel secure. It can help when you'll be away for a while because they know "time to chill".

I'd say separation anxiety can be likely. That's one of the reasons my dad has a pair. Crating up a pair of dogs and leaving feels totally normal to them (separate crates). They have spent a lot of time in kennels.

Oddly enough, they also do well with muzzles. A muzzle is also not inherently cruel as long as you only use it occasionally when they're out and about. A muzzle is cruel if it makes it difficult for the dog to eat or drink.

Beer Baron wrote: Dogs tend to like crates if you use it properly. Greyhounds especially. The crate isn't a punishment, it's their safe space where they go to calm down and feel secure. It can help when you'll be away for a while because they know "time to chill".

^This. I do a lot of rescue work with puppy mill dogs. Many of the rescue advocates are fully opposed to crates with the logic that the dogs suffered for so long in a crate. However, for better or worse it is all they have known and it makes them feel safe. I have a mill rescue shepherd that has an open crate (no doors) in our bedroom and living room because she has an obsessive need to be "in the box" when she is not she is stressed and paranoid. We're almost 2 years in to working with her and just getting to the point where she will occasionally sit on a dog bed in front of the crate and watch the goings on.

I have another dog that will just go up to the bedroom and chill in his crate when he wants some quiet time. Out of our 6 dogs 4 use crates on a regular basis, the other two dont care for them so they dont use them. But all are trained to go in a crate on command. With 6 dogs, in an emergency situation I want to know they'll all go to their crates and can be moved out easily.

As noted above, never make the crate a punishment, make it their personal space and you'll find they take to it quite readily.

we attempted to break down and store our Border Collie mix's crate when she turned 2, she went to where it was and cried. It was back up within 10 minutes back up, and she was happy to have her den back.

They don't know how to sit but can learn

They usually don't understand how stairs work but can learn

The most cat-like dog possible. Stoner-ish and quirky.

You'd better be a social person, because a LOT of people will stop and ask you about your dog when you're out for walks.

Be sure he/she NEVER gets loose. Electric fence and/or fenced-in yard is a must for these dogs. When they get loose, they vanish.

Lots of tooth decay issues from their racing diet.

Generally, wonderful dogs.

gamby wrote: They don't know how to sit but can learn

Don't know how? Physically can't. Their legs are too long!

Beer Baron wrote:

gamby wrote: They don't know how to sit but can learn

Don't know how? Physically can't. Their legs are too long!

This guys sitting! https://www.google.com/search?q=greyhound+sitting&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS590US590&oq=grehound+sitt&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l3.5915j0j8&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8&hl=en-US#imgrc=QuLvvLvdXRRKlM%3A

In reply to gamby:

I'm not worried about being social. I love to tak to strangers. I drive a purple jeep, I like attention.

Watch them with cats, some will have a high prey drive. Much of it will depend on the individual dog, and the foster home they lived in prior to adoption.

My parents had 3, I'd echo the responses above. Great dogs, they love people, and can be very lazy. A quick walk would wear them out. Remember, they're sprinters - not long-distance runners.

I would love to adopt a grey, too, and much of what I've been told mirrors above. They don't like being alone. If you already have a dog they are okay while you're gone but nobody recommended getting a grey as your sole pet. I can't afford to feed two dogs nor the adoption fees, otherwise I'd be all over it.

Beer Baron wrote:

gamby wrote: They don't know how to sit but can learn

Don't know how? Physically can't. Their legs are too long!

I've seen a couple that could sit. It looked awkward, but they did it.

gamby wrote:

Beer Baron wrote:

gamby wrote: They don't know how to sit but can learn

Don't know how? Physically can't. Their legs are too long!

I've seen a couple that could sit. It looked awkward, but they did it.

I mean, they can hunch their back legs, but I've never seen one able to get it's butt onto the ground.

All of ours sat. So what if their tush doesn't actually touch the ground. Our last learned stairs after a while. He was an upper crate dog used to jumping up into his crate so would just jump the 5 steps from one floor to the other.

His name was Dingo. 88 pounds of pretty dumb but lovable dog. Down right scary fast.

NO on electric fence. Aside from being a dumb idea, once a grey gets it in its mind to take off after something it won't stop them. Besides why would you use a device that instills fear in a dog already loaded with the baggage of being mistreated by racing?

Had a greyhound for 8 yrs, Gordon (Flash, not Jeff) - loved that dog. Ours was good with our cat...actually terrified of our cat, no eye contact would be made, but most aren't that way. The rescue group tested each dog for that.

He had been in 2 homes before ours, and was not crated with them. So, he really hated his crate. We crated him when we weren't home, but otherwise he was never in it. He had already learned stairs and windows before we got him.

One thing to know, I think mentioned above, their teeth can be a problem. Cleanings were a pretty big expense, b/c they have to sedate, and grey's are tricky with that (something about resting heart rate in the teens).

Oh and there is a registry website you can look up their lineage and race history, which is pretty cool. Ours had 54 brothers and sisters!

Did I mention I loved that dog?

Regarding the electric fence, it worked on my lurcher, who was afraid of almost everything and would cry like a little girl with the collar set on low.

The racer blew through the fence at 45mph going after a squirrel, resulting in a 2 hour adventure to capture her. Basically, don't waste your money, even if the rescue org is OK with it.

Regarding sitting, we trained both of ours to do it. I think they just don't learn or have a need to sit at the track, but pick it up quickly.

Stair training is also entertaining. Lucy has been here for 8 years now, and still will not just walk up steps unless being led; our steps have a turn in the middle, so she just jumps up to the landing, then up to the top.

Also, Beer Baron, I love that picture! I've discovered that they're usually willing to share the couch, especially if they can leach heat off of you .

Yes, he was completely asleep. My wife 'usually' didn't let him on the couch, but his Prime Directive was 'get on couch with mom', so he'd try to ooze up there like a cat, thinking she wouldn't notice this ginormous 85lb cat sliding up next to her and stomping all over her. Man I miss him <.

Edit - this is what a greyhound test drive looks like:

<img src="" />